Broody muscovies seem very sensitive to disturbances

Our newly-aquired flock of muscovies are about to reproduce for the first time - knock on wood!

The hens have laid around 20 eggs in the nest. Since yesterday evening, there've been a couple of instances where a hen - two of them, actually - have seemed as if they were about to start lying - they've been in the nest, or in front of it, just standing. However, the hens seem to get afraid and walk away from the nest at any disturbance. The first few times, I happened to disturb them rather strongly - once I lifted the lid of the nest, the other time I loudly opened the coop door - but the last time she walked off simply from hearing me talking to the other ducks outside the coop (yes, I talk to them, I'm weird).

I'm used to the courageousness of broody chickens - a chicken hen won't leave her nest unless you pry her away with a crowbar. Muscovies seem more sensitive.

Am I going to have to tip-toe around the nest until the ducklings hatch, or will the duck mother grow some guts once she's settled in?

My Muscovies aren’t that way; they’re like you describe your chickens! My broody girls will peck and bite anyone who tries to invade their nest, but they won’t leave no matter what.

Are they completely broody yet, sitting on the nest 24/7? Until then, they won’t mind leaving the nest. But once they are actually broody, they shouldn’t leave just because you walk around in their pen.

It sounds like they might be kind of skittish, too. Maybe you need to get them used to you some more?